Review by Booklist Review
Dog stories always have strong appeal, and this one does not disappoint. Our narrator, a sweet corgi, is the light of his mommy's life until things change. First comes the arrival of a man; then, later, a baby. It's a change that is emphasized in the book's first double-page spread, which features the mom, dad, and baby but no dog: Soon there was no room for me. The following pages repeat the activities and affection previously attributed to the dog and his mommy but now describing the baby and parents. When the dog does return to the illustrations, it is to be scolded. But, gradually, the observant dog recognizes the ways he and the baby are alike (crawling on all fours, playing fetch). Result: our hero realizes that the baby arrived for him, of course. Adamson's cartoon characters make the story while adding to the pace and its happy resolution. Pair with Charlie and the New Baby (2014), by Ree Drummond, for another story about a big-brother dog.--Ching, Edie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An orange corgi faces unwelcome changes in Marshall's story of a growing family (the dog-as-displaced-sibling premise also popped up in Tony Fucile's Poor Louie earlier this year). The unnamed dog narrates, making a direct appeal for readers' sympathies. "A long time ago it was just Mommy and me. We were very good friends," he begins, as Adamson (Shark Dog!) shows the two posing in photo-booth snapshots. Then Daddy enters the picture ("They cuddled. A lot"), and Baby arrives soon after. The dog has nothing but disdain for the noisy, smelly, and decidedly-not-housebroken newcomer, and in a particularly poignant scene, Adamson shows the pup staring up at the night sky, wishing "things could be the way they used to be." Marshall (Kindergarten Is Cool!) smoothly transitions into the coming-together part of the story arc as the dog notices that the growing Baby gets around on all fours ("like me") and makes a pretty good fetch partner. Uneasy new siblings should take to heart the message that it gets better. Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis. Illustrator's agent: Isabel Atherton, Creative Authors. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
A dog reminisces about when Mommy cuddled, groomed, and solely focused on only him. Expressive pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations endearingly capture the pooch's displeasure as the family dynamic shifts when Daddy...and then Baby...enter the picture. This humorous take on changing families concludes with the now-satisfied baby-training pup's egocentric realization: "NOW I know why Mommy and Daddy got Baby. / They got Baby...for me! (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Will the new baby muck up the family dog's way of life?The pooch sure thinks so. For years, the orange corgi and Mommy were inseparable, having fun and sharing hugs and life's experiences togetheralone. Of course a wrench got thrown into the works when Mommy met an interloper: Daddy. So much for exclusive cuddling with Mommy after that. Worse, after a while, time and space in Mommy's lap are seriously compromised as the aforementioned sitting area becomes way smaller. And thenthere is only room for Baby. To top it all off, Mommy and Baby grow very close. Guess whose life starts to go downhill, what with being scolded and ignored and having to put up with a noisy, smelly, untrained newcomer in the house? The dog's eventual realization that the infant has become rather canine (crawling on all fours, anyone?) leads to the realization that there's a very endearing place for a dog in the family's new pecking order. This story adds nothing new to the familiar dog-adjusts-to-new-baby canon, but it's narrated by the dog in first, er, person in simple and sweet prose, and it also nicely stands in for many young readers/listeners who may have become new older siblings themselves. The colorful, cartoony illustrations are lively and expressive, with the white parents and infant portrayed with bright smiles and large eyes; the narrator is particularly expressive and winsome. An enjoyable if not exactly original outing. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
